iOS software

Outbox delivers your snail mail to your iPhone or iPad

Mail service as we know it just doesn't work anymore. Too much junk. Too much hassle sorting, scanning, and/or filing the stuff we need to keep. And, let's be honest, so much of what arrives in our mailboxes could -- some would say should -- arrive electronically.

Austin-based startup Outbox wants to make that happen by digitizing all of your physical mail and delivering it to you electronically on your iPhone or iPad, or your PC.

Interesting proposition, wouldn't you say? Think about it: no more daily trek to the mailbox followed by the daily armload … Read more

Amazon launches Cloud Player app for iPad, iPad Mini

Amazon today launched its Cloud Player app for the Apple iPad and iPad Mini, expanding the online retail giant's footprint for its music streaming program.

The app allows customers to stream or download music stored in Amazon's cloud, play music already stored on the device, and manage or create playlists.

A quick check by CNET shows iPad users also can purchase songs from Amazon through the Safari Web browser like they can on iPhones and iPod Touches. In the past, iOS users were able to access Amazon's apps but weren't able to purchase items from Amazon. … Read more

MLB expands use of Passbook for mobile ticketing -- report

Major League Baseball (MLB) is increasing its reliance on Apple's Passbook application, according to a new report.

This year, 13 teams will allow customers to buy paperless tickets and redeem them through Apple's Passbook. The Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago Cubs are among the new teams to support the application, according to GigaOm, which spoke with MLB officials on the move. Two more teams will be announced soon.

MLB gave a tryout to Apple's electronic ticketing system last year with four teams. Out of the 1,500 e-ticket buyers, 12 percent chose to receive their tickets … Read more

Adobe squeezes Photoshop down to phone size

It's taken the company a lot longer than I'd expected, but Adobe has finally rolled out a version of its tablet-based Photoshop Touch for even smaller screens, Photoshop Touch for phone.

The most surprising aspect is that it's a feature-identical version of the tablet software; I'm not sure we need such a complete editor on anything even as big as a Galaxy S3. But if you have a yen to composite up to 16 layers (or 3 layers at the maximum file size of 12 megapixels), you'll be able to do so on any Android (… Read more

Apple releases iOS 6.1.3 beta with passcode bug fix in tow

Apple has released a new beta of iOS 6.1.3 for developers.

Dubbed iOS 6.1.3 beta 2, the update is supposed to fix a hole that can let someone gain access to your iPhone by sneaking past the lock screen. Through a small series of steps, including making an emergency call, a person could bypass the passcode in order to make phone calls, listen to voice mail, and check contact photos.

Apple acknowledged the bug last week. promised to squash it in a future iOS release. iOS 6.1.3 will fix that problem, the company said, … Read more

Apple updates iTunes with new Composers view

Apple's latest iTunes update mostly offers bug fixes and performance enhancements but throws in one new feature.

Released yesterday afternoon, iTunes 11.0.2 adds a new Composers view by which you can sort and see your music. After applying the update, open the Preferences window in iTunes. In the Views section, click on the checkbox to Show Composers and then close the Preferences window.

You'll see a new option at the top of your music library for Composers. Click on that option, and you'll be able to select the names of different composers to see just … Read more

Sunrise is a beautiful, free iPhone calendar alternative

Last November I covered a new service called Sunrise. The goal of the service, after connecting it to your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Calendar accounts, was to help you start the day with a personalized agenda in your inbox. It would incorporate details about upcoming meetings, as well as who you're meeting with, from the various services.

While having an organized agenda automatically created for you each morning with important details was intriguing, after using the service for a few weeks the e-mail started to feel more like spam than a helpful digital assistant.

Fast-forward to today: Sunrise has … Read more

Check the weather with zen-like iPhone app Haze

Are you still using the iPhone's default weather app? If so, may I suggest a 99-cent weather app released last week that provides more weather information than the default app, along with a sense of zen-like calm? Haze was released last week and is currently being offered for 99 cents. (When this introductory offer expires, Haze will cost $2.99.)

After launching Haze and allowing it to know your location, the app will offer you a new theme called Purple Haze. After these two steps, you'll be greeted with Haze's simple, subtly animated interface. In the middle … Read more

Skype rolls out video messaging beta

Did you ever want to leave a message for a Skype buddy who just wasn't there? Skype's new video-messaging feature, now in a beta of sorts, is the interactive way to do it.

Available today for users in the U.S., U.K., and other select countries (Skype isn't listing them all,) video messaging sends a recording to friends who may be offline or on another call.

Android, iOS, and Mac users don't have to do anything to play around with the prerelease feature, except to make sure they've got the most recent software update (… Read more

Android, iOS combine for 91 percent of market

Android and iOS completely dominate the mobile market, according to new data from research firm IDC.

IDC revealed today that Android owned 70.1 percent of the smartphone OS market in the fourth quarter, on 159.8 million shipments. Last year during the same period, Android owned 52.9 percent of the space, on 85 million shipments.

Android's popularity was similarly strong throughout 2012, as the operating system scored 68.8 percent ownership, on 497.1 million shipments.

Apple's iOS proved to be a distant second during the fourth quarter and throughout 2012. According to IDC, Apple's … Read more